Current IC power packages, or those ICs designed to transport and/or regulate electrical power, are typically fabricated using a conductive lead-frame and leads surrounded by an encapsulant material, commonly a plastic. The encapsulant protects the IC and its integrated circuits from damage and environmental extremes, allowing such solid-state ICs to function in a robust manner. However, such packages suffer from various drawbacks.
As one example, it is known that the transport and control of electrical power can subject IC power packages to excessive thermal cycling as they heat up and cool down. As the encapsulant and leads often undergo differing rates of thermal expansion, stresses can build up at their interfaces, causing delamination of the encapsulant from the leads and other IC components. Such delamination allows moisture to enter the IC, which can corrode and/or short the package, and otherwise reduce performance. Connecting and disconnecting the IC also generates stresses along the length of the leads, adding to the risk of delamination.
It is therefore desirable to improve the integrity of the interface between an IC's encapsulant material and its other components. Such an improvement would extend the useful life of IC power packages, yielding more dependable operation and cost savings.